I Will Not Fail Thee Nor Forsake Thee- Monson

Please go to this link: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/i-will-not-fail-thee-nor-forsake-thee?lang=eng#watch=video

COUNSEL:

• Recognize that NO ONE lives free from sorrow and suffering
• Remember that patience is required
• Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened down with the blows of life, let us remember that others have passed the same way, have endured, and then have overcome.
• Do not wait for trials to remember God

PROMISED BLESSINGS:

• I will not fail thee nor forsake thee...no matter what!
• He will give us rest
• He will offer us peace in adversity

"Of utmost comfort to me during this tender time of parting have been my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge I have that my dear Frances lives still. I know that our separation is temporary. We were sealed in the house of God by one having authority to bind on earth and in heaven. I know that we will be reunited one day and will never again be separated. This is the knowledge that sustains me."

"Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass. We know that there are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were—better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before."

The Moral Force of Women- D Todd Christofferson

Please go to this link: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/the-moral-force-of-women?lang=eng#watch=video

COUNSEL:

• Look for and appreciate women of influence in your lives
• As a woman, seek to teach and influence others for good
• Teach in word and deed
• Cultivate the moral power within
• Be a guardian of the law of chastity
• View Motherhood as a valid career
• Do not participate in sex outside of marriage/abortion/immodest dress
• Do not blur the lines between male and female
• Follow the Holy Spirit
• Put God first

PROMISED BLESSINGS:

• Women can have a huge impact on the lives of others
• Your moral authority and influence will grow

"My plea to women and girls today is to protect and cultivate the moral force that is within you. Preserve that innate virtue and the unique gifts you bring with you into the world. Your intuition is to do good and to be good, and as you follow the Holy Spirit, your moral authority and influence will grow. To the young women I say, don’t lose that moral force even before you have it in full measure. Take particular care that your language is clean, not coarse; that your dress reflects modesty, not vanity; and that your conduct manifests purity, not promiscuity. You cannot lift others to virtue on the one hand if you are entertaining vice on the other."

I really liked this talk.  I wonder how we can be so mixed up to think that men and women should be the same.  It is obvious that we need to have both genders in order to have children.  It does not work any other way.  We like to fuss that men just see women as sex objects, then we dress immodestly knowing we will get that kind of attention.
We were designed to complement and work together, no one being greater or better than another.  I love that!  God knew what he was doing.

Strengthening Faith and Testimony: Robert D Hales

This talk was the first we read last fall and is brought back to remind us how to prepare for conference again!
Go to this link: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/general-conference-strengthening-faith-and-testimony?lang=eng#watch=video

COUNSEL:

• Listen to conference
• Study out problems in your mind, then ask if it is right
• Prepare prayerfully
• Take sufficient time, sacrifice other less important things
• Prepare for conference by coming with questions or desires
• Take notes on what you FEEL and HEAR
• Watch conference free from distractions as possible
• Listen with patience and faith
• Gather to listen to conference then return home to live the counsel
• Read the talks afterwards

PROMISED BLESSINGS:

• You will receive the word of God
• The Lord will tell you what will 
• You will feel the Spirit if you will listen
• The Holy Ghost will carry what you need into your heart in a way you can understand it
• We can strengthen each other to withstand the fiery darts of Satan
• The gates of Hell shall not prevail

"My brothers and sisters, I bear my special witness that the Lord Jesus Christ lives and stands at the head of this Church. This is His general conference. I promise you in His name that if you pray with a sincere desire to hear your Heavenly Father’s voice in the messages of this conference, you will discover that He has spoken to you to help you, to strengthen you, and to lead you home into His presence."

TO MY GRANDCHILDREN- President Eyring

I love President Eyring...having him call us to our mission assignment was really special, and we feel we know him on a little deeper level after that hour in his office.
This talk also spoke to my heart as a parent and grandparent.
GO TO: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/to-my-grandchildren?lang=eng#watch=video

COUNSEL:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind
Love thy neighbor as thyself
Repent often as needed
Accept and magnify all callings we are given
Seek the companionship of the Holy Ghost through prayer and service
We should expect the help of God...depend on Him!
LOVE THEM NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO

PROMISED BLESSINGS:
Loving God will help us to meet challenges and lead to the heart of a happy family life
We will be clean and happy
Our lives and the lives of our families will be blessed as we serve
As we serve, we will be blessed with the companionship of the Holy Ghost...miracles will come to pass
With the companion of the Holy Ghost our marriages can be free from discord
Through the Atonement we will be saved
Angels will be sent to save us and our own

"There is but one plan of happiness. That plan is to follow all the commandments of God."

"My message then to my grandchildren, and to all of us trying to forge eternal families, is that there is joy guaranteed for the faithful. From before the world was, a loving Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son loved and worked with those who They knew would wander. God will love them forever.

You have the advantage of knowing that they learned the plan of salvation from the teachings they received in the spirit world. They and you were faithful enough to be allowed to come into the world when many others were not.

With the help of the Holy Ghost, all truths will be brought to our remembrance. We cannot force that on others, but we can let them see it in our lives. We can always take courage from the assurance that we all once felt the joy of being together as a member of the beloved family of our Heavenly Father. With God’s help we can all feel that hope and that joy again."

This talk is especially meaningful to me as a parent and as a missionary...it works for both.  Our greatest desire is for an eternal, complete family.  And as missionaries...ALL OF US AS MISSIONARIES, we want that for our brothers and sisters.  So, we know that they need to keep the commandments in order to be truly and eternally happy.  It is as simple as that.   LOVE YOU!  Cheryl

CALLED OF HIM TO DECLARE HIS WORD

This talk by Elder Randy Funk was new to me since it was from Priesthood session. Perfect for us right now though!
Go to: http://bcove.me/l79lxczn
3 Nephi 5:13
13 Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

COUNSEL:

• Go to the scriptures and living apostles for counsel.
• Humble yourselves before the Lord.(Be humble)
• Abide in His word. (Be obedient!)
• Hearken to His Spirit. (Feel the Spirit, it is essential)
• Fully repent of anything you need to.
• Begin the process of repentance now!

PROMISED BLESSINGS:

• When you pray, you will be comforted.
• You will experience "REAL GROWTH" for your future.
• You will have POWER to open the doors of the kingdom.
• Peace to your soul, you will feel the Holy Spirit.
• Your confidence will wax strong.  
• You will have power.
• You will gain knowledge.
• "Our insights, our talents, our abilities are expanded because we receive strength and power from the Lord.”
• You will find great happiness as a missionary.

"The Lord instructs His servants to be humble because the process of being made whole spiritually begins with a broken heart. Think of the good that comes from broken things: Soil is broken to plant wheat. Wheat is broken to make bread. Bread is broken to become the emblems of the sacrament. When one who is repentant partakes of the sacrament with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, he or she becomes whole. As we repent and become whole through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we have much more to offer the Savior as we serve Him. “Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him.”"
 “A knowledge of truth and the answers to our greatest questions come to us as we are obedient to the commandments of God.” How reassuring it is to know that through our obedience we gain knowledge."

This talk applies not only to missionaries, but to all of us as parents or members or those who seek truth.   It reminded me of this scripture: D&C 90:24 "Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another."
When we were baptized we promised to lift each other's burdens...meaning anyone we come in contact with in the entire human race.  I love the promise that all things will work together for our good as we remember that covenant and read, pray and help others.
HAVE A GOOD WEEK! Love You!  Cheryl

Misc. Jenna and Boys Visit 3/14

 PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINE FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THIS VISIT

We really had so much fun having Jenna and the boys out for about 10 days.  It went too fast and we spent a few days sick...that's another story...but all in all, it was delightful.  The house is truly too quiet now that they are gone!

 Our first FHE we acted out Lehi's dream.  The boys had been reading about that in their nightly Book of Mormon reading so it seemed like the right thing to do.  Don't know how much they got out of it...it was super short but fun.


It makes sense that when it is dark and cloudy and we do not know exactly where we are going, we need the security of something to hold onto.  I am glad we have the Gospel truths that truly do guide us in our lives!  Love this analogy/dream!




We like to terrorize the kids, so we take them to feed ducks.  It was hilarious that as the boys backs were turned, the ducks came running towards us and they had no idea they were coming.  TERRIFYING!

 Then the 2 geese came and that was really scary!  We just kept throwing food their way to appease them!

As soon as we were out of bread, they were not interested in us anymore!

We like the coots that have really cool blue feet and can run on the water!

We went hiking a couple times.  One morning I took the boys hiking after my run to the temple so Jenna could go on a run.  We started up the mountain and Carter refused to stop until he got to "the top."  So, we ended up taking them on about a 3 mile hike when Jenna met us on the trail.

When we came back on the lower trail, we started seeing faces on cactus.  So, we brought back Breanna and Scott to hike there another day to show them the funny faces.

In AZ, no one would be out in water this time of year...WAY TOO COLD!  But remember the days in Utah???  You had to wait until it was 70 or 75 to put on your swimsuit!  It was 70-75 every day while they were here!  But in AZ that feels cool.

 Jenna had some college running friends come over for a lunch date.  They had a good time together.

 Carter tried his hand at making a cactus face on one of his morning walks with Grandpa!

 Bennett was very gentle with Addie and she was really pretty calm about the boys being here.

One treat for Grandpa and Carter was to go to a Mariners vs Rockies baseball Spring Training game.  They had a really good time together doing boy stuff!

Click on the line above for more photos of all sorts of adventures!


LOVED HAVING VISITORS!  WE LOVE OUR FAMILY!

Phoenix Children's Museum Carter and Bennett Style 3/14

 PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINE FOR ALL PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT


We were really looking forward to taking the boys to the museum.  We had so much fun with Brooklyn there and knew they would love it.

 The gigantic play structure just inside the museum just captures them immediately.  Lots of climbing time required!  It goes up three stories high!

 And we LOVE the cool vacuum tubes that suck in scarves and then shoot them out of various spots depending on where you crank them open and shut.

You can see how delighted Bennett was to catch the scarves!

And they loved the area with the air blowing up and hovering ping pong balls.

 Lots of random instruments to play.

 Some pretty serious concentration by Carter...see his tongue sticking out.

 The boys rode trikes through the cool carwash...it was very clever.

 And they spent a long time in the noodle jungle.

 We found a lot more places this time that we missed with Brooklyn.  This reading nook was really sweet.

 Got someone to take our photo up there overlooking the climbing structure.

 Brooklyn will remember the ice cream shop...it was one of her favorites!

 The  boys served us up some cones!


Look at the link for more photos of the museum.  The girls had been smart and checked weather the week before to decide which week to go to the zoo and which to the museum...and they were right, that forecast for rain came true!  It poured while we were inside!  And it seriously hardly ever rains in Phoenix!

Phoenix Zoo Carter and Bennett Style 3/14

Click on this line for all photos of this event. 

One of our favorite places for children in Phoenix is their zoo.  We discovered the farm area after about 2 years of going, and love it for little ones.  We were lucky to get in early since we are zoo members, and get over there with no other people around. 

Bennett loved milking the cow.

 We saw one of the horses coming back from a walk and got to see him up close and personal.

 And, we were the first ones into the goat enclosure...you get to brush the goats...just walk around and brush them all.

 Both boys were really excited for the carousel...you never know if they will end up terrified, but we had really good luck with Brooklyn when she was here, and now with Carter and Bennett.

 Carter chose a cheetah to be really fast...and Bennett chose a scary tiger!

His little mouth was wide open in delight most of the ride!

We got someone to take our picture all together at one point, you can see it was a really nice day...oh to be in Phoenix in the winter!

Check out the other photos through the link at the top of the post!

 There are several nice play areas at the zoo...this one had a cool rope web that Carter tried out.

 And Bennett went down the cactus slide.

 Another area we love is where you can go inside the monkey enclosure and see them up close.  It is really fun.











Several fun places where you can climb on statues that was always good too.

Love our Phoenix Zoo!

Ye Are No More Strangers

It is always fun to listen to talks by people you know.  Elder Causse was here in Phoenix over a year ago and he spoke to our missionaries.  He is a kind man.
This talk made me think especially of Braden when we got our call to move to Phoenix.  Very sweet, but hard experience.

For this talk, go to: http://bcove.me/7homkl2o

COUNCIL:

• Care for all who may be considered strangers or seen as different.
• Love strangers as your own. Give compassion and respect.
• Observe the law of perfect love...love those who do not love you.
• Welcome everyone!
• Have no manner of "ites"
• Make the first move to welcome people.

PROMISED BLESSINGS:

• “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.
• The elect will be gathered.
• Our hearts will be purified as we welcome everyone.
• The Savior will be able to tell us that we welcomed Him...as we did it unto the "least of our brethren."

"One marvelous aspect of our gospel dispensation is that it is not limited to a geographical area or a group of nations. It is global and universal. It is preparing for the glorious return of the Son of God by gathering “his children from the four quarters of the earth.”

I love that quote!  It makes perfect sense to me that I can go to Church ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD and be welcomed as one of the congregation.  If it is the Lord's Church, it would be available everywhere, not just the Church on the corner somewhere.

From Les Miserables:
“‘This is not my house; it is the house of Jesus Christ. This door does not demand of him who enters whether he has a name, but whether he has a grief. You suffer, you are hungry and thirsty; you are welcome. … What need have I to know your name? Besides, before you told me [your name], you had one which I knew.’ (my brother)

I also thought this quote was appropriate, not only because it was French (for Elder Causse), but because it is true.  We of all people should welcome and be open to every son or daughter of God!  We know who we are!...yet how many times are we the worst at welcoming of any religion.  Breanna had her own experience trying to attend a YSA ward here and not being welcomed very warmly.  I talk to people who have had similar experiences.  Yes, I know we need to reach out ourselves...but how aware are we of EVERYONE and that ANYONE can be having a hard time or need rescue, and we may be ignoring them...it really made me think.

I hope that I can be more aware...more sensitive to the Spirit and not so wrapped up in my own box, that I can reach out and friendship anyone whether I know them or not.  People are all so interesting.  I often think how cool it would be to know EVERYONE in the world.  Who knows. Eternity is a long time.  But I think I better start now.  LOVE YOU!  Cheryl

DOCTRINES AND PRINCIPLES OF THE 4th ARTICLE OF FAITH

Any talk that is about OUR PURPOSE as missionaries and about PRINCIPLES appeals to me...the really great thing is that the same purpose and principles are what bless each of us as children of God trying to make the best choices we can here on earth.  This talk was by L Tom Perry.
Go to: http://bcove.me/0j53v3b6

COUNSEL:

• Study and memorize the Articles of Faith
• Understand the principles and doctrines they contain
• Study the resources we have to guide us back
• Aspire to embody the attributes of Article of Faith 13
• Live lives that exemplify the attributes taught

PROMISED BLESSINGS:

• The scriptures guide us to a standard of truth by which we can judge the knowledge we are receiving, whether it be true or false.
• You can know that there one true church of God on the earth
• We are given spiritual blessings to guide us
• The knowledge you acquire will change your life for the better
• You will be able to declare in simple, straightforward, and profound ways the core beliefs you hold dear as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

I loved how he broke down the order of the Articles of Faith into 5 sections:
1. The Godhead and basic Doctrine of Christ
2. Organization and order of Priesthood
3. Eternal Resources in a mortal journey
4. Member missionaries
5. Aspirational attributes

"This doctrine is to the Church like a battery is to a cell phone. When you remove the battery from your cell phone, it becomes useless. A church in which true doctrine is no longer taught is similarly useless. It cannot guide us back to our Heavenly Father and our eternal home.
The truths taught in the Articles of Faith build upon one another like the components of a cell phone mutually supporting one another. Like the elaborate supply chain that adds components to a cell phone, the Articles of Faith supply us with key doctrines of the Restoration. Each article of faith adds unique value to our understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

GILBERT TEMPLE OPEN HOUSE

PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINE FOR ALL PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT

This week we had the privilege of attending the OPEN HOUSE of the new GILBERT ARIZONA TEMPLE.

This was exciting for us, because the Gilbert and Phoenix temples both broke ground about the same time, but the Gilbert Temple did not have opposition and is now completed.  Our own Phoenix Temple will likely be completed by the end of this year.

I don't think any of these photos do this temple justice...it is so beautiful in person!

Our missionaries from Phoenix were allowed to go to the Open House one time with investigators, so we saw a few of them as we were at the temple this day.

We loved the whole experience of the visit to the nearby chapel for orientation on temples as well as waiting in line to go inside for the self-guided tour.

The ATTENTION TO DETAIL was what impressed me the most in this temple.

Every time I looked at any little thing, I could see the little things that made the big difference.

We went to the temple with our daughter Breanna, Sister King from our Mission Presidency and our neighbors, the Janulis.

It was the perfect group!

 The art design of this temple focused on the AGAVE plant native to Arizona.

The plant has thick pointed leaves that are used to make Agave Nectar for one thing.  They are succulent looking and sometimes have pointed spines on the tips like this one.

The plant sends up a tall stock which blooms only once in its lifetime.  It blooms at 7-20 years old.  The plant then dies and new little agave plants spring up around the base of the Mother plant.

Very cool!

We could not believe the many forms of agave leaves that were used in details such as doorknobs, light fixture glass, window glass, wood table detailing, metalwork, carpet embossing etc.
it was incredible!

Temples are a symbol in themselves of eternal life which we believe strongly in.  We are grateful for temples and that communities are allowed to learn about what we do in temples through these open houses.

We hope you share the message that we make promises to God in our temples.  They are beautiful and sacred places, not secret places.
Worthy members are allowed inside after temples are dedicated so they can first make their own promises or covenants with God and then come back to serve those who were not able to make those promises to God themselves while they were alive.

We believe that everyone deserves the chance to make promises with God in a temple.

 Sister King and I were approached by a sweet couple asking questions about our beliefs after the tour.

It was a pleasure to answer questions and share that we are Christians.  We believe in Jesus Christ.

We believe that part of following Jesus Christ is to be in a place that was special to Christ while he was on the earth...the temple!

Here is our crew for the day:
President Taylor, BreannaTaylor, Sister Taylor, Dana and Ed Janulis and Sister King.



We look forward to the Phoenix Temple Open House next fall!  What a great opportunity to share with the community our faith in Jesus Christ.





Here are our dear friends, the Janulis.



This evening view was when we took Elder Teh over to see the temple when he visited our mission last fall.











We had also been looking forward to going out for lunch at CAFE RIO over in Mesa...one of those back-home comfort food places!  YUM!

And our own little temple is coming along nicely...not fast enough to be completed while we are here, but still "OUR TEMPLE."

We will look forward to coming back down to see it at some point this year.